Facts About Michelangelo
Interesting Facts on Michelangelo for fun!
Michelangelo is one of the world’s most famous artists and like most artists, past, present, and most certainly future, they are usually very interesting people. Since Michelangelo’s art touches many places in Italy’s Rome – the Eternal City, you’ll enjoy knowing a little bit about this amazing artist. Understanding him will help you appreciate his work even more!
CLICK HERE – Visit Vatican City with the KIDS – All you need to know!
Facts About Michelangelo
- Michelangelo Buonarroti was truly a renaissance man using many different mediums for his art. He was a sculptor, a painter, and architect and a poet.
- His art was so admired that he was often called Il Divino which means ‘the divine one’.
- Most of his poetry was written to another man, Tommaso dei Cavalieri. These poems are the first long series of poems written from one man to another man. Yes, Michelangelo was gay. Curious about more LGBT stories in the Vatican read here!
- Michelangelo wasn’t afraid to bend the rules so he could make more money. Once, he created a wonderful sculpture and then tried to make it look like it had been buried and would look much older than it was. This way he could sell it as an ancient work and make even more money.
- His ‘frenemies’, fellow artists who were jealous of his talent, convinced the pope to have Michelangelo paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. They thought he would be a massive failure and they really wanted to make him look bad. In the end, this plan totally backfired because the Sistine Chapel is yet another masterpiece by Michelangelo.
- Michelangelo used himself as artistic inspiration and painted his likeness into some of his famous pieces. He is in both the Sistine Chapel art and The Last Judgement on the alter wall of the Sistine Chapel.
- Being a fantastic artist has its drawbacks. When in his teens a jealous fellow painter decked him and broke his nose.
- Michelangelo was first and foremost a sculptor and he saw things others didn’t. His famous statue of David was created from one marble stone – the same stone that others had passed up time and time again calling it ‘unusable’.
- Nine different Catholic popes commissions artwork by Michelangelo.
- Michelangelo was hot headed and had a quick tongue that sometimes got him into trouble. He and fellow Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci had an extreme dislike for one another.
- FIRST artist to have a biography published while he was still living.
- Art must be good for you because Michelangelo lived to a very old age for the time period – 89 years!
- Art was also very profitable for such a master. Michelangelo died with the equivalent of $50 MILLION. He didn’t spend his money though and lived like a pauper.
- Michelangelo served in the army between 1527-1529 working as an engineer.
- Michelangelo’s attention to detail is part of what makes his work so magical. For example, the scenes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel include 300 people and no two look alike.
La Pieta is one of Michelangelo’s most famous art pieces.
CLICK HERE – Read on La Pieta – Vatican City’s most famous statue
Facts about Michelangelo will have you appreciating the artist and thus the art even more!
If you are heading to Rome check out some of the other interesting posts!
CLICK HERE – Rome – The Perfect 5 Day Itinerary for a Trip to the Eternal City
CLICK HERE – Read before you go! Kids’ Books about Italy
Happy Artistic Travels,
Natalie, The Educational Tourist
Nice post.Thanks for the blog.Keep sharing.
Wonderful post. It’s always great to learn about the people who have been a big part of our history.